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Hey there =) I'm Coral, and I was diagnosed with ADHD about a year ago - shortly after I started working from home due to COVID.
This was the thing that put me over the edge (none of my old coping mechanisms were working anymore) but looking back, the diagnosis makes so many things start to make sense.
I'm starting a new role in a few weeks that will be permanently remote, and while I'm excited about the novelty and how many new things I'll get to learn, I'm also nervous about the possibility that my ADHD symptoms could hold me back.
Does anyone have any tips or tricks to starting a new job, either ideas for working remotely as an ND person, or in general for starting a new role as an ND person?
Abbey ThompsonSr. Knowledge Management & Research Specialist
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04/05/21 at 5:23PM UTC
Working remotely with ADHD has been stressful for me too, in that it's very, very easy to get distracted by my home life. Even more so because I live in a very small urban apartment with my wife and 2 cats, so my "office" is just a desk in the living room. If you have the luxury of space, by all means set aside a calm and quiet place for yourself, because that can help you concentrate.
My best suggestion, though, regardless of whether you have a quiet home-office space or not, is to invest in a really good quality pair of noise-canceling headphones. At the start of the pandemic, I was about to just LOSE IT half the day because of all the little annoying noises that build up. I was getting mad at my wife for the littlest things and I knew it wasn't fair for her. I spent $350 of savings on a pair of Sony MX-1000M3 headphones (recommended by a neurodiverse friend) and they have been a life-saver. I turn the noise canceling up to MAX and escape to my own private bubble. I also like finding minimalist music to just kind of vibe in the background, because sometimes the complete silence itself is a distraction! haha! Sony just released a newer version of the same headphones (the MX-1000M4) and I can only imagine how good they must be! If you can't afford really really good ones, even just some lower-end noise-canceling headphones will definitely help, just make sure they're the kind that completely surround each ear for maximum effect. I bought mine through a really excellent company called Crutchfield, which specializes in audio electronics, etc. They have a really great return/exchange policy in case you don't like them (I tried another kind before settling on the Sony pair because they felt more comfortable on my head). They're also legit experts who can chat with you about the pros and cons of different models. I had a great buying experience with them overall.
